CIk Uictorian naturalist 



Vol. XXXII.— No. 7. NOVEMBER 4, 1915. No. 383. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, nth October, 1915. 

 The president, Dr. C. S. Sutton, occupied the chair, and 

 about 60 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the excursion to Pakenham on Saturday, 18th 

 September, was made by the leaders, Messrs. F. Wisewould 

 and R. A. Keble, who stated that the day turned out very fine, 

 but the country was in some parts rather wet under foot. The 

 attendance of members was. however, not so large as had been 

 anticipated. The direction taken was easterly along the old 

 Gippsland mad for about a couple of miles, then turning north, 

 near Mount Ararat, for another two miles. At this point a 

 start was made through the bush towards Pakenham Upper, 

 and during this walk of about four miles a fair number of wild- 

 flowers was collected ; these included seven or eight species 

 of orchids. From a hill on the route a fine view of the sur- 

 rounding country, extending from Arthur's Seat at Dromana 

 to tlu: Warburton Ranges, was obtained. After luncheon, Mr. 

 Keble, from the saddle at the head of Gordon's Gully, gave a 

 short account of the physiography of the district, calling 

 attention to the sunken estuary of Western Port and the earth 

 movements which had taken place, and so caused the present 

 appearance of the landscape. From this point at least 1,200 

 square miles of country were visible. Before starting for the 

 station a visil was paid to the fern gully below. During the 

 clay about thirty species of birds were identified. 



A report of the excursion to the Dandenong Ranges, from 

 Croydon to Belgrave, on Saturday, 25th September, was given 

 by the Leader, Mr. F. Pitcher, who said that the walk of about 

 nine miles was essayed by ten members. The day proved 

 very enjoyable, and fine views were obtained from many points 

 along the route. A large number of Mowers were collected for 

 the wild-flowei exhibition the following week. Near "The 

 Observatory" some fine Blackwoods, Acacia melanoxylon, were 

 seen in hill bloom. The orchids Pterostylis cucullata and P. 

 pedinnuliiUi were noted. Near Sassafras Creek fine bushes of 

 Pittosporum tricolor and Zieria Smithii were in full bloom. At 

 least .1 dozen ferns could easily be collected there within a 

 radius oi a few yards. It was noticed that most of the speci- 

 mens of Pittosporum bicolor had started as seedlings on the 



